Wednesday, August 7, 2013

I've been meaning to do this post for a week and a half. Things have been so crazy busy lately! And only looking busier on the horizon. Seven weeks left until release. Holy frijoles. Seven weeks. That's both terrifying and exciting. And lookie! If you want to enter to win an ARC of Sky Jumpers and haven't yet, there's a link right over there on the right.

Are you planning to go to WriteOnCon? (If you don't already know about it, It's an absolutely FREE online writer's conference! I can't recommend it enough. Go to http://writeoncon.com/ for more info)

I'm doing a forum event on Wednesday, August 14 at 1:00pm Eastern about Writing Middle Grade, and I'd love if you came! If you'd like to submit a question ahead of time, you can in this WriteOnCon form.

So my family and I headed off to Sunny San Diego for Comic Con (and a trip to the beach and to Sea World). It was pretty darn incredible. Have you ever been there? I hadn't. San Diego is nice and friendly and super clean. And a full 35 degrees cooler than home, which, I've gotta say, didn't suck.

And Comic Con. Guys, Comic Con. It was the Texas-sized and Vegas-bright and made you feel like that dog on UP and there were squirrels everywhere.

This is the building, which looks strangely like a concept drawing, doesn't it? But you can tell it isn't by my finger in the top left. ;) Seriously, though, the thing is HUGE. See? If it weren't for those tall buildings down there at the end, you couldn't even tell where it ends!

The inside.

The entire bottom floor of the convention center held the exhibition hall. Everything was big and bold and fascinating and I swear, it doesn't matter how many times you walk through it, it's impossible to see it all. (And you gained one level of maneuverability for each hour you spent "walking" through it.)

People all around wore costumes from simple to elaborate. Waiting in lines felt sort of Disneyland-ish, because there was so much to entertain all around you! (See the guy in flames? There were lights in the flames, so they actually looked like they were burning!)

Fan of The Walking Dead? They had a prison in the middle of the exhibition hall, filled with zombies! You could stand in a line to actually walk through the prison grounds, to see if you could get through without becoming a zombie yourself.

And not all the zombies were within the prison walls....

There was even a pirate ship in the bay!

This was the beginning of Random House's booths that ran on both sides of the aisle, the entire length of the middle section of the hall.

And check it out! My book is on the wall! In some very good company, I might add. My book is feeling quite star struck.

And I got to do an ARC signing! I had a line and everything. It was pretty surreal.

Speaking of lines..... Upstairs was where all the good stuff happened, like panels and previews. This was the line for Ballroom 20. You can't even see the end of it-- it turns left a some point way back there, and continues to the end of the walkway. Then it continued behind me for a ways, then turned and went inside the building and back along the entire distance it came. But it was totally worth it to stand in the line. Becaaaaaaause.......

I got to see Joss Whedon. Dude. I.... I... I can't even. I just.... :'o) This is bucket list stuff here, folks. Dream come true. This man is a genius. Watching his commentaries on Buffy/Angel/Firefly episodes taught me how to be a writer before I even became a writer. He gave me the tools I needed to start writing, and then gave me the inspiration to not only start writing, but to plow ahead and to give it everything I had. I owe this man a lot, and I was thrilled to be able to hear him speak in person.

And you guys, my daughter. I know I've extolled her amazingness before, but it just doesn't cease. Girl's got some serious boldness. She's eleven, and although she never made it to the front, she stood in line for the full hour, waiting to ask Joss a question. Waiting to have herself projected onto four 20 foot screens, in front of 5,000 people, to ask JOSS a question. She's my hero.

It was incredible. The whole week was incredible. I'd go back again in a heartbeat.

Post of awesomness alert! I second through thirteenth every word said about Joss. Thanks, Joss. As one who has benefited from your influence on Peggy, you've done me several solids. ( I realize that doesn't produce the best mental image. I apologize.)

My 13 year old daughter has been sqeeeing about Comic Con for a while now. I can't imagine what she would have done for a chance to see Joss Whedon. I'm sure she would have given him a wish list of all the things she wants him to do in the future.

Wow, Peggy, what an awesome trip you had! I'd love to go to Comic Con one day. And Joss Whedon?!! Sigh. I wish I could soak up all the wisdom you learned from him. Total genius. Thanks for sharing all the fun pics and tidbits.

I'd like to see Joss Whedon too; you're so lucky! Except I'm still mad at him and the other Buffy people for letting Spike and Buffy get together; I never liked that union. Comic Con looks like a lot of fun! The only comics I read regularly were Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, and Archie, but if I was at Comic Con I know I'd buy several other comics just to see what all the other people are reading.

I write action / adventure books for middle grade readers, and I'm represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties. I have two books released-- SKY JUMPERS and THE FORBIDDEN FLATS (both action / adventure, for ages 8 and up, with Random House Children's Books). I love happy kids even more than I love cookies, I make lists as often as I eat lunch, and I love having every light in the house on almost as much as I love writing.